1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to an interval guarantee member configured to maintain a distance between an image bearing member and a developer bearing member, a developing apparatus and a process cartridge provided with the interval guarantee member.
A developing apparatus is used for an image forming apparatus. The term “the image forming apparatus” used here includes electrophotographic copying machines, electrophotographic printers (for example, laser beam printers, LED printers, and the like) configured to form images on recording medium using, for example, an electrophotographic image forming system, and facsimile apparatus and word processors. The process cartridge is configured to be detachably attachable with respect to an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, in the image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image forming process, an interval guarantee member referred to as a spacer is provided at an end of the developing roller in order to maintain an interval and a distance between a photosensitive drum (an image bearing member) and a developing roller (a developer bearing member) to be constant.
The spacer is clamped between the photosensitive drum and the developing roller by a biasing force of a spring or the like, and controls the interval between the photosensitive drum and the developing roller to be constant.
As the spacers of the related art, in addition to a type in which the spacer is rotated by itself in association with the rotation of the developing roller or the photosensitive drum, there is proposed a type in which the spacer is supported rotatably with respect to the developing roller but does not rotate by itself even though the developing roller rotates (For example, Japanese Patent No. 3679665).